Refinery ArtSpaceWhat's on...

Natchez Hudson with his painting based activation of the Inner Space 'Land' [Left Top: THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD, Left Bottom: Landfall].Katie Russell with her architectural based space intervention 'House for Rent' [Middle Top/Bottom] and 'The Signature of All Things' - an interpretation of NZ flora by Kirsten Boswijk [Ceramics] & Cate Murphy [painting].​All three shows running until 24 February.

Local artists Kirsten Boswijk & Cate Murphy with a colourful interpretation of the New Zealand flora.Until 24 February 2018.Kirsten Boswijk graduated from Nelson Marlborough institute of technology in 2010 with a bachelor in Visual Art and Design. She majored in ceramics and was mentored throughout her degree by Christine Boswijk. It was 2005 when Christine first put clay into Kirsten’s hands and encouraged her to study at NMIT and she has been a steadfast supporter to the development of Kirsten’s practice. Her practice includes a range of slip-cast and hand carved domestic-ware inspired by flowers, and a series of hand built works inspired by the unique birds of New Zealand. This exhibition was inspired by the beautiful botanical drawings of New Zealand flora by Audrey Eagle. The concept is to celebrate the diversity of New Zealand’s flora.

Cate Murphy is a Nelson artist who paints in bold and bright acrylic colour on canvas, timber or found objects. She has exhibited in San Francisco, Dublin and New Zealand.

Christchurch based Katie Russell holds a BA majoring in sculpture, University of Canterbury [2017]. Her architectural intervention is on show until 24 February 2018.Here a brief statement by the artist about her installation:'House for Rent, a sculptural installation that asks the audience to take a walk through the memory of her grandparent’s former home. Images of the home, found advertised for rent on Trade Me, have been recreated as paper embossings and hung as an architectural intervention in the gallery space. The audience’s experience of the embossed images changes as they move through space, suggesting the fleeting nature of memory.'

​Natchez Hudson holds a BA of Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland [2001], had been finalist in NZ contemporary Art Awards such as Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Awards, New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award, ....runs until 24 February 2018.​Natchez Hudson about his work:

“Land” is a painting based installation. At its heart, this exhibition asks questions about the purpose and place of landscape-based art in the contemporary world. What are these type of paintings for? Is it purely decorative, or can it be part of a broader conversation; can it be both critically and emotionally relevant? Perhaps no artistic subject matter has as many art-historic and societal connotations as landscape paintings, particularly in New Zealand. Landscape painting has a long history in this country, at various times tied up with ideas of exploration, colonialism, modernism and national identity. For many people in New Zealand, landscape painting continues to represent their ideal of “real” art, alongside other strictly representational artwork. However, as a mode of artistic expression in 2017 it can struggle for relevance in a more critical sense. These artworks investigate some of these issues and seek to repurpose the genre for a modern audience.